Women Development Group’s strategy includes the formation of its own Gender Department and it work includes

·WDG has joined a number of international women’s groups and is active in sharing information.

·WDG are being supported by IRC in capacity building and are beginning to use some ofthe SASA Raising Voices material

·WDG is active as the state representative of civil society in the South Sudan National Action Plan for UN Resolution 1325 and subsequent updates which via its 3 pillars of protection, prevention and participation, condemn the use of violence against women in warfare and promote the active involvement of women in peace building. References to this are now built across all WDG projects and proposals

·WDG are expanding the Peace Councils set up in a previous project by adding Resolution 1325 awareness and expanding the locations covered

·The gender group delivers services and training to other WDG projects. For example training on women empowerment to theVocational Training Project

·4 WDG members of staff and volunteers are working on a GBV awareness project covering schools and rural communities and being helped by training from British Council in being Active Citizens and in paralegal work with training from Norwegian People Aid.Awareness sessions are attended by Ministry staff from Education and Social Development, by the South Sudan Police Service , by the UN and by other international agencies like SAJP and Saferworld who are engaged in the implementation of community policing

·WDG are now also supporting the State Ministry of Social Development by assisting with the monthly GBV cluster meeting. This assistance includes co-chairing and writing minutes

·WDG will support theInternational 16 day GBV awareness campaign in November / December 2013 and have applied for the promotion material which will be shared with other Wau based campaigners

Women Development Group has some ideas of its own on gender projects including one related to listing and advocating for legislation to ban harmful practices, which are already theoretically illegal according to the countries Transitional Constitution but not being practically stopped due to lack of implementation

Women Development Group is looking for donors to support this important work